Cutting Edge
by Sodapop Allerdyce
Summary: Darrien's past haunts him, as Jake plans to runaway*ch.3 f/ Michelle Branch's Are You Happy Now?*
1. Shining Bright

Title: Cutting Edge  
  
Author: Kaji Tori Naosu  
  
Category: Drama/Action  
  
Synopsis: A trouble teenager, Jake Clarkson, is fed up living with his father. After a fight at school, causes him to run away from home. Discovering that he was mutant, Jake headed for Bayville, New York. Once, there, he was placed in foster care until the X-Men came to bring him to their institute. Feeling comfortable around others like him, he's happy again. But, not for long. His father had decided to come and find him.  
  
Completeness: Chapter One with more to come.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution, but I enjoy the toon immensely. But, one thing is for sure, is that I created and own Scythe and Scorpio.  
  
X-Men: Evolution "Cutting Edge"  
  
The sun is shinning bright over a two-story apartment complex. A young man of seventeen with shoulder length gold brown hair, opens the front gate. He's wearing a black shirt and black cargo pants with a dark blue backpack hanging from one shoulder. Jake Clarkson walks past the small front yards along the cracking cement path. Every time he goes by, he'd wish the owner of the place would get it repaved. But, did it ever? No. The people around here were just too darn lazy to get anything fixed.  
  
Reaching the metal stair case leading up to his home, Jake shakes his head and climbs them. Passing by the first couple of doors until he got to the end where the door had a gold metal "A206" on it. Like everyday before he opens the door, Jake checks and takes out the mail. Opening the wood and screen door, drops off his backpack on the nearby arm chair with a slam.  
  
This room is the living room, the largest in the place. There was a tiny kitchen towards the back and the bedrooms were down the hall to the right. Looking to his left, Jake notices that his father is laid out on the couch fast asleep. Going over there, quickly flipping though the mail as he went, selecting the bills and deposited them on his dad's chest. This is Jake's way of making him notice the bills. For a fact, the man of the house rarely paid them.  
  
Feeling exhausted, he goes to his room to nap until dinner time. He didn't feel like doing his homework right away. Jake wasn't normally a procrastinator, but today just was one of those days. The bad days that couldn't get any worse. Closing his weary eyes, he recounted the day's events.  
  
Jake was at school, just minding his own business, when a football jock came up to him demanding that his father pay his father the money he owes. When he had asked what for, the blonde replied for last night's match.  
  
You see, Jake's father fights in the local arena called "Slash Jay's." Where the men who were itching for a good fight, would come and beat the crap out of each other for money and sport. His father normally won, he didn't see how, but for some unknown reason last night, he didn't.  
  
Jake rolled his eyes, told the guy to fuck off, and walked away. Out of nowhere, he suddenly felt a wade of spit hit the back of his neck. Pissed off, he turned around to find the loser who did that. Of course, it was that idiot jock again.  
  
With a smirk on that loser's face, he says, "I can see how you two are alike. Both have long hair and are low life pieces of white loser trash!" The two other jocks flanking his sides laughed along with him.  
  
As they did, Jake came stomping back over to them. With clenched fists and teeth, he spoke in a low, dangerous voice, "What?!"  
  
The jocks stopped, and their leader retorted, "Man, you losers are quite deaf, too!" More laughter follows.  
  
Jake could feel his blood boiling and fists tighten in rage. Raising his right arm and drawing back for a punch. He misses. On his follow through and leaving his side open, the jock shoves him to the ground. The cohorts are pointing and laughing.  
  
Getting back up, Jake decides to do an upper cut with his left. Just when he's about to make a sick contact with the bustard's chin, a look of horror comes over the jock's face. A strange green-pink-white light and noise pierces the air. Jake turns his attention to his arm, his eyes going wide, too.  
  
This was such an odd sight to bear. His whole forearm was., well not gone, just didn't look right. The arm was now a chiseled glowing blade with a sharp point to where his hand used to be. With his sleeve torn back, the blade surged or glowed with bolts of electricity surging about it.  
  
What is this thing? Looking at the gawking faces and hearing the gasps around him, Jake bolted. He ran off as fast as he could off of school campus. As so, his arm transfigured itself to normal.  
  
Behind a seven-eleven, Jake leaned against the wall breathing heavily and studying his arm. Turning it this way and that, and touching it with his right to make sure it was really flesh and bone. It was. Jake was reassured, but not relieved.  
  
After spending an hour there trying to decide what to do, he got up and decided to walk home. There was no way he could go back to school. Everyone would think he's a freak. He needed to calm down, which walking always worked best to sort his thoughts.  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Well! So what did you X-Evo fans think of my first mutant creations? I have many more mutants to come! I come up with a new one nearly every day. Gotta Go! ^.~  
  
I gave it sort of a "The Outsiders" feel to it. That book is by S.E. Hinton and has been around since 1966. It's basically about greasers and socs living in Tulsa, Oklahoma trying to fit in and make right. That's not what my fic is about, but this is my favorite book of all time. My sixth grade teacher read it to the class. The movie adaptation isn't too bad. It has a very young Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe in it.  
  
The Spider-Man soundtrack makes a good background music to the fic, I've been listening to over and over as I wrote this. My personal fave is "Invisible Man" by Theory of a Dead Man.  
  
Jake Clarkson is played by Jonathan Jackson from the Disney movie "Tuck Everlasting."  
  
Jake's father is played by Viggo Mortensen who plays Aragorn from "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy. 


	2. To Of Great Concern

Chapter Two  
  
Completeness: Chapter 1-2 with more on the way.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution, but I enjoy the toon immensely. But, one thing is for sure, is that I created and own Scythe and Scorpio.  
  
X-Men: Evolution "Cutting Edge"  
  
Last Chapter: After spending an hour there trying to decide what to do, he got up and decided to walk home. There was no way he could go back to school. Everyone would think he's a freak. He needed to calm down, which walking always worked best to sort his thoughts.  
  
Smelling the aroma of fresh hamburgers wafting into his room, Jake slowly rolls out of bed. As he made his way to the tiny kitchen, he did a few stretches and yawns before rounding the corner. Halfway down the hall, Jake's arm started feeling funny. Not the numb kind of funny. His lazy steps stopped, frozen, rooted to the ground with fear. He looked down at his arm.  
  
There it was again! The same strange shining blade from earlier. Jake slowly brought his arm up, so that he could get a better look at the thing that was once his arm. Or is it? The light illuminating off of it, created a faint aurora bore Alice like light to shine on the nearby walls of the hall. Oddly, as he soon noticed, the blade wasn't making any sort of noise, or hum, this time. It was as if the blade could sense his panic.  
  
"Jake! Dinner! Now!" came a rough voice down the hall. 'Uh-oh!' Jake thought. Looking to the blade, 'How on earth do I get ride of this?!' "Jake!" came his father's voice again. That distracted the boy's attention temporarily, giving the errie blade time to re-transfigure itself to its original flesh and blood.  
  
Looking back down towards his problem, Jake let out a soft sigh of relief. 'Yes. It's gone, good.' He wasn't quite ready to tell his father yet, not knowing how to handle this "thing" properly and fearing his father would freak. Best to go with the "don't ask, don't tell" cliché.  
  
Straightening his posture, Jake rounded the corner to the kitchen. He found his father already at the table leaning back in a chair, eating, and reading today's paper. Darrien Clarkson, age 34, with rugged features on his face. The man kept his crimson-gold hair slightly shorter with some style than Jake's. As you can imagine, Jake didn't get most of his looks from his father. Personality, the will to put up a good fight, and the hard- headedness was where the similarities ended with between the men.  
  
As Jake made his way to the small table in the center of the room, he noticed the bills from earlier laying on a nearby desk. Conspicuous enough was that they hadn't been opened. Rolling his eyes, the exhausted teen plopped himself into a cushioned chair across from his father.  
  
"Evening sleeping beauty," the man across from him spoke from behind the newspaper that he was reading. Jake took a bite out of a burger, 'Look whose talking! You sleep more during the day than I do, ass.' This is what he wanted to say out loud, but thought better of it. After a momentary pause between the two of just eating and reading, "Did you finish your homework?" Ugh. He just had to ask that everyday.  
  
"Er.no," Jake answered. He could tell that his father didn't really care if he said yes or no because he hadn't looked up from his paper when he said that. Wonderful, at least he won't be harassed about it to death today. You know how most parents are, making sure you do your homework and the like. When his father did nag him, it bugged the hell out of him! Whenever it hit the wrong nerve, Jake would just leave the room, so that he wouldn't have to hear the man go on and on. At times, if they fought about it, Jake would find himself thinking, 'I bet no else's father is this pissy.'  
  
After the men were both done with dinner and put everything away, Jake relaxed himself on an arm chair. Meanwhile, his father watched some action- gunmen movie on t.v. Flipping through the last few pages of an old copy of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," Jake put the book down and decided it was high time to bring up the bills. He was fully aware that he was being hypocritical of his previous thoughts, but it was important.  
  
"Hey, dad?" Jake asked carefully. His father turned his head to look at him, "It seems to me that you didn't look at today's mail. You really need to pay those bills. We, I mean you, have already gotten nearly a months notice. Do you have the money this time?"  
  
For a few seconds, there was no response from the latter. Turning his attention back to the lighted screen, "No to both of your questions," he answered in a curt voice. Speaking in as few words as possible, meant that the man wasn't in the mood to talk about it, nor his day.  
  
Feeling on the verge of a bad temper, Jake could feel the funky numbness buzzing in his left arm again. But for the moment, it was ignored. "Da-a- ad!" He spoke through clenched teeth trying to control his anger. "Why can't you just save the money your get from your fights? I hear that's a good way to pay your debts."  
  
The older man's body stiffened, turned around, and stood up to face his son, "I told you, I don't have the money with me right now. I had to pay back a bet I loss in a previous fight with Sirius Venin!"  
  
"To hell with your shitty excuses! Even though I love my job in Metropolis, I'm so fucking sick and tired of using my pay check, yes, my pay check, to pay for the bills! You are such a lazy bastard! It isn't fair!" Jake snapped back. Gosh, when he said 'It isn't fair,' reminded him of a little kid whining about something to get his way. Jake winced at himself mentally for that image.  
  
Darrien's brow furrowed and eyes narrowed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from his own son! (And, that language.Anyway, that's not important, he shoved aside that observation.) "How dare you.!" He responded in a low, cold, dangerous tone.  
  
"No! How dare you!" Jake screamed back. With his rage coming to a fine boil, he swung his arm back, ready to make a jab. But, just as he was raising it into a uppercut, Jake heard a loud buzz noise and a crash behind him.  
  
He swung his attention behind him, there was a once tall lamp cut into two pieces on the floor. It had been a straight clean cut through the middle of the stick shaped poll. At the broken edges with wiring poking out, small sparks of electricity flashed and jumped about.  
  
Looking down at his shimmering arm-blade, then slowly brought his gaze up to meet his father's. At the same time of action, a deep nagging feeling told Jake that his father was going to think it. Thinking that right now, his son was a freak.  
  
Meeting emerald orbs to his deep ocean, Jake did not see that at all. His father's face wore a blank expression of deep shock or concern, Jake couldn't tell which. The two mean just stood there, staring each other down. Suddenly, he saw his dad's eyes flicker downwards in the direction of his arm.  
  
Jake didn't need to look to know that his arm was in its all-natural form, once again. The heated rage and buzz that had been surging in it had died down to a faint numbness. Still looking at his father, waiting for a reaction, saw that the corner's of his mouth had lifted slightly then back.  
  
Once he saw that, Jake knew, or at least had a feeling, that his father was going to say something. Something that he may not like to hear aloud. Not wanting to wait a second longer, Jake made a mad dash past his father to get to the sanctuary of his room. Coming to a screeching halt in the safe haven, he turned around and slammed the door shut with a glass shattering bang.  
  
Meanwhile, in the living room, Darrien still stood frozen in shock and stared at the lamp until he zoned out. His mind faded into deep thoughts of great alarm and concern. In the background, he could hear the buzzing of the electricity echoing about in his mind. What to make of this? He was not quite sure of yet.  
  
Author's Note:  
  
By the way, both of Jake's forearms can become blades. Since his dominant arm is his left, Jake tends to focus his energy on that side. So, that's why only one of his arms becomes a blade thus far. He'll learn to control and develop his powers later in the story. But, for now, things will remain a confusing mystery to follow step by step.  
  
The fighter that Jake's father mentioned while they were arguing, Sirius Venin, is another of my mutant creations. Venin is French for "venom." Sirius has nothing to do with the villain from Spider-Man, nor the jock's father from the previous chapter. 


	3. Scars Not Yet Healed

Chapter Three  
  
Completeness: Chapter 1-3 with more on the way.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution, but I enjoy the toon immensely. But, one thing is for sure, is that I created and own Scythe and Scorpio. The song "Are You Happy Now?" is sung by and belongs rightfully to Michelle Branch. This is off of her sophomore album, Hotel Paper.  
  
Please Note: I don't know why apostrophizes come up funny when I uploaded this file. Since I have no clue on how to fix it, please just bare with me and try to do the best you can to figure what those words are.  
  
X-Men: Evolution "Cutting Edge"  
  
Last Chapter: Meanwhile, in the living room, Darrien still stood frozen in shock and stared at the lamp until he zoned out. His mind faded into deep thoughts of great alarm and concern. In the background, he could hear the buzzing of the electricity echoing about in his mind. What to make of this? He was not quite sure of yet.  
  
Now  
  
Don't just walk away  
  
Pretending everything's okay  
  
And you don't care about me  
  
And I  
  
Know it's just no use  
  
When all your lies become your truths  
  
And I  
  
Don't care, Yeah yeah yeah  
  
As Jake Clarkson paced back and forth in his room, he took deep, shaky breathes of air to try to help himself calm down of this raging pain inside him. Years of frustration towards his father for not caring about him after he became a teenager. Time after time of pretending to care by asking questions about how he was doing in school, never about him soully. Jake was no idiot. He knew when Darrien was lying, allowing the man's cold, indifferent mask to show its rare cracks of emotions. For example, how he had reacted to the infamous scene in the living room, that horrified expression that Jake had feared. Yet, it was how he expected the man to react in the first place.  
  
Could you look me in the eye  
  
And tell me that you're happy now (oooh)  
  
Would you tell it to my face  
  
And have a little grace  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
That expression told all Jake needed to know on what his father now thought of him. He was a freak, a mutant now. The specially gifted people were shunned and considered outcasts to be feared or destroyed. But, at times, Jake couldn't always assume what his father thought about him or about anything else in life. Why didn't he say anything after the accident with the lamp? Where were his witty remarks to make everything feel okay and comical? Darrien's sarcasm made life a little more bearable for Jake to be around him. Did he fear his son that much now? Wait, normally the man wasn't afraid of anything. At least he didn't show it. Recalling what he had read in the papers and heard on the news, normal people had a really negative reaction towards all mutants. Even the ones that were family and dear friends. As soon as a mutant made that hormonal change, they were looked at as if they were some monster. If his father felt that way about him now, then why couldn't the fucker admit it for cris's sake! Why was it such a problem for Darrien to say something to his face, when Jake knew he wanted to do so? But, alas, the man kept his pride by keeping his most of his opinions bottled up in order to control some of his anger at the world. Why was that?  
  
To crawl there was to take  
  
And left me with the empty plate  
  
And you don't care about it  
  
And I  
  
Am giving up this guilt  
  
And leaving you with all the blame  
  
Cuz I don't care  
  
Jake had figured out a long ago of the prime source for his dad's coldness, his late mother. She had died shortly after giving birth to him. Jake had no memories of her whatsoever. His father never talked about her. Not even when he had asked about her when he was little. It was utterly useless to pump information from the man. Ever since his mother's funeral, Darrien had never been the same. As he raised and watch his son grow up into a young man, he became sullen and dark. Becoming the man that Jake knew now. Darrien still was deeply scared, wounds that would never heal or be forgotten.  
  
Sometimes Jake found himself blaming himself for being the cause of his mother's death. Even though he knew it wasn't entirely his fault, he still couldn't stop feeling bad about it. Oh, how he wished that he had the chance to get to know her better before she met her untimely end. These depressing memories made Jake's body and mind feel heavy and weary. Feeling like he couldn't stand on his own two feet any longer, he walked over to his nearby closet door and leaned his back against it.  
  
He slid down to the floor until he was in a sitting position with his legs stretched straight out before him. Jake could feel his vision blurring, tears were forming under his eyes. He reached a hand up to brush his hair back, then tilting his head back to prevent the tears from falling. Jake Clarkson was not going to cry, not now. He had to be strong in order to get himself through this. Desperately wanting to give up this guilt trip that he kept revisiting, Jake just wanted to dump and leave his father with all the blame to grief. Plus, not care about, but he knew that wasn't fair.  
  
The other arm that was resting partially on the floor was starting to feel num again. Slowly closing his eyes and making a slight groan of frustration, Jake dared to move his gaze downwards at it. Staring at the gleaming blade, he felt num. No feelings of curiosity nor frustration towards the cursed blade that was his left arm. He was way beyond those feelings. Devoid of that, all Jake could manage was to stare at it unseeingly.  
  
Could you look me in the eye  
  
And tell me that you're happy now (oooh)  
  
Would you tell it to my face  
  
And have a little grace  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Like son, like father, Darrien was pacing back and forth in his room/office deeply worried about his son and how to make it up to him. Jake was a mutant now, could that bring disastrous events against his son's life as it had did his? Speaking of life threatening events, reminded him of hearings in court about mutants that he used to go to when Jake was little and he was still in his twenties.  
  
When hate articles in the newspaper were more popular to the readers, Darrien would pick up the newspaper to find front page news about debates being held in courts all over New York. The paper was inviting some people to come watch and support the case that the politics and mutants were presenting. Amazingly enough, mutants were invited to the party. Intrigued about what these people had to say, Darrien decided to go for the heck of it.  
  
Being an only father, he put his aunt, a close cousin, and his older sister to baby sit young Jake. Not wanting to draw attention to himself at the hearing, Darrien decided to wear a dark brown trench coat, black sunglasses, and an old fashion gray-black hat to hide under. After taking a couple of express trains to get there, he would arrive just in time to follow the back of the crowd into the building.  
  
Once the court room had filled up with mutants and people, Darrien made for a seat in the way back, the row closest to the door. Just in case if needed to make a quick getaway or leave early. The mutants who were presenting their side of the case today introduced themselves as: Charles Xavier, Ororo Monroe, and Hank McCoy. (A/N: I know that Hank wasn't a mutant at the time, but I'll just say that he's a mutant supporter for the time being.) For the norms: Senator Kelly and William Stryker. The case today was about whether mutant registration was necessary. (A/N: This is before Kelly was principle of Bayville High.)  
  
As he listened to their heated debate, they brought in witnesses of mutant sightings and confidential files on residential mutants. When the court officers brought the material up to the judge, Darrien noticed a strange man glaring at him suspiciously off and on. The man had messy, slightly spiked black hair just above a rugged face with some obvious stubble. He had a muscular body, covered in a simple grey shirt and dark blue jeans with a black leather jacket. The mysterious man looked older then Darrien, somewhere in his forties perhaps.  
  
During a lunch break during the hearing, Darrien and some other people stayed behind to wait for the session to start again or to discuss matters. Including that strange man, who was now talking privately with that Xavier guy and his crew. Pretending to be asleep, Darrien slumped into a relaxed position in his chair and tilted his head and hat forward to pull off the act. But, he kept the rim of his hat at eye level, so that he could spy on the group. He noticed that the man was making hand gestures towards his direction, so they were talking about him.  
  
Sadly, Darrien couldn't hear a thing that they were talking about. But, he did hear Xavier's small outburst at the man that he called Logan. Logan, huh? Funny name. They continued on in hushed voices until break was over, luckily for him, the mutants never approached him. He stuck around for the rest of the mutant presented side of the case, but he decided to leave early. There was no joy in it for him to have to hear what the norms complained about. Besides, as Darrien got up to leave during the next break before the norm case, he'd be reading it in tomorrow's paper. Plus, just in case those other mutants wanted to talk to him afterwards.  
  
The next day, sure enough, when Darrien read the paper, the article read the mutant side had lost. But, there was another case to be had on that subject later in the future. Today, there was another hearing. This time it was about if mutants were dangerous and if people needed to take precautions to the utmost tight security. Sounded more like total alienation towards mutants today. Leaving home with his babysitters to do the work, Darrien left to go sit in his favorite back row seat in the court room.  
  
After the room had filled, the judge soon appeared and announced that this would be a two day, two part hearing. Darrien prepared himself for the long haul, as he listened to the norms case. They got to go first since the mutants went first last case. The man called Logan and his pal Xavier were staring and gesticulating in his direction like yesterday. At one point of Senator Kelly's speech, Darrien started to fall asleep. But, he didn't get to sleep for long.  
  
As his mind was beginning to mist over with sleep, he could hear a strange voice echoing in his mind, asking him odd questions. The voice sounded like Xavier's, which it was when Darrien had startled from his brief nap. Once he was conscious and alert again, the mind-reader returned his attention back to the case. Wary of the man, Darrien made a note to himself to leave early again.  
  
By the end of it and as people filed out, he was so drowsy from boredom that he got caught in the traffic jam of people. Not wanting to have that Xavier guy reach out to his mind again with his wacky mind tricks, Darrien made a quick curvy path past people to get as soon as possible to the door. With luck on his side, he was ahead of the older man and already out the door.  
  
Darrien continued to show up for the rest of the hearings that month. Plus leaving early to avoid contact with his pursuers. With every hearing, the words got harsher and more hateful toward mutants. This was a losing battle for mutant kind. People just weren't ready to accept the peace offering that Xavier was offering to them. Their stinging words almost made him feel guilty for being one and what he did with his gift in his free time. Not that he used them to commit crimes like this radical group called the Brotherhood did.  
  
Darrien could still hear those cruel words in his mind and in the world about him today. It truly angered him the way people would discriminate their kind. Sometimes treating them as if they were some lower life form. When mutants were forced to have mutant licenses, it made it even harder to get jobs, a home, and many other things. Gosh, how he hated to own one and feel so out there when he only wanted to be left alone and in peace. Fuck! Darrien even had enough money to buy a bigger home, an actual house. But, most mutants in this area were only allowed apartments.  
  
This poor living wasn't for Jake. He could tell by the way his son was being torn up inside or depressed that he couldn't go places like his friends. Darrien wished that he could improve this life for him, but he couldn't. In his bank account, he wasn't allowed to even touch a third of the money in there. Memories suddenly came flooding back in his mind. The time his parents threw him out of the house to only be defended and helped by the relatives who helped him take care of Jake when he was little. He was grateful for any help he could get or be offered. His aunt, cousin, and older sister had been his life lines many times in the past. As Jake got older, there came the more disappointed looks of longing to be free and happy.  
  
Those feelings of abandonment of family, friends, and looks, made Darrien feel regret, guilt, and torn up inside. Even after all these years, the memories still hurt. Oh, how it was so hard to forgive and forget. Great, now his mind felt a horrid mess and his heart heavy. Darrien didn't need this now, not now. He needed to go help Jake. As the anger rose within from years of pain and frustration, he swung his arm out and knocked over a desk lamp, causing it to topple to the floor at his feet. Writhing in anger, fists clenched, and breathing heavily, Darrien stared down at its broken side. Then, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and bent over to pick it back up.  
  
As he was kneeling down to do so, Darrien suddenly felt a fiery pain shoot through his side. Grimacing in pain, he stood back up. He'd have to forget about the lamp for now. Placing a hand over his burning side, he carefully made his way over to a nearby mirror hanging on the bedroom wall. The mirror was nearly as tall as he was, except the view cut off his feet at a certain distance. Standing before it, Darrien lifted his shirt up enough to see the damage.  
  
On the left side of his body, across the rib cage to his hip, were five long burnt black streaks with open cuts that weren't bleeding. The streaks were the same width as a person's fingers. Darrien cursed silently at Sirius Venin for letting his acid and venom leak out into his claws to swipe at his side. Also, at himself for not being quick enough to move out of harm's way. Sirius's claws jammed into his side, swiping through the skin and burning it with the deadly organic chemicals. Darrien fell to the floor in pain as the venom entered his body, weakening him. All his opponent had to do was deliver a swift kick to his head and it would be all over. But, the strange thing is, the kick never came.  
  
When he had managed to look up, Sirius was announcing that the match was over. There had been some booing, but Venin didn't care. He held his hand out to help Darrien up. The wounded mutant took it, thanked him, and then left to go get cleaned up. When he left Slash Jay's that night, he couldn't figure out why his rival would do such a thing as let him leave the ring conscious. Normally they were competing to punch each others' lights out. Why was this time any different? Maybe, Venin realized that he shouldn't kill a single father to leave his child parentless?  
  
Believe me, these two have tried many times to kill each other in the past. Ever since high school to be exact, but whose counting? In their previous attempts, they hadn't been able to beat each other because they weren't strong enough at the time and didn't have their powers either. Not that their powers made a huge difference these days. Both were perfectly capable of giving the other some few good cuts and bruises.  
  
Reflecting upon Sirius's miraculous act of kindness, Darrien decided to cut the man some slack during their next match. Oh yeah, there was always a next time. Jake had asked once, when he was twelve, of why they never learned to get over their past. Darrien just shook his head, and told the boy he didn't know. Shaking his head and softly chuckling to himself, he turned his attention back to his wounds.  
  
Earlier, he couldn't heal them because his healing powers were still working on trying to ride his systems of venom, which normally took a long time. But, his body did allow the bleeding to stop within matter of minutes after the match. Sadly, it didn't num the pain that the wound caused him. Like, when he had been fighting with Jake in the living room, Darrien struggled to stay calm and keep his words to a minimal, so that the scars wouldn't hurt. But, as soon as Jake had started yelling and swearing, that got him on his feet.  
  
No sooner had he did, his cool façade started to form cracks. Desperately trying to keep it together by making his body stiff, but then lost it when Jake sliced the lamp in half. As soon as his son stared at him, was the moment that his scars decided to flare up with immense pain. In which causing him to grimace in pain, while causing his son enough pain to run to the safety of his room. 'Oh gosh.,' Darrien thought sadly, he hadn't meant to do that. He never meant to hurt Jake in such a way, never. He quietly berated himself for such an action.  
  
Darrien tossed the memory aside lamely to deal with later, first things first. He evened out his breaths, and closed his eyes, then went to work on focusing on his scars and burnt flesh. As he rhythmically inhaled and exhaled, the black flesh slowly faded back to its natural tone like a shadow fading as the sun was rising to the sky in the morning. The scars sealed themselves up like a zipper being zipped up on a jacket. Then, all there was left was five long scratch marks in their place. In a matter of seconds, those marks, like everything else, faded to smooth skin over a muscular body.  
  
Darrien opened his eyes and looked in the mirror, then gave a sigh of relief at the sight of smooth, healed skin. Man, did it sure pay off to have self-healing powers. Remembering about Jake's ordeal suddenly came washing back over his mind, not letting him relax for long. Once again, his mind became a mess trying to figure out what to tell his son and how to comfort him. Darrien just couldn't decide if it was a better idea to tell him that he was a mutant, or not. Why did he have to hide so much from his own son? Would it make a big difference in their life if he did admit to it? Not wanting to start pacing back and forth again, Darrien went to sit on the side of his bed. He decided to sit and not lay down, because if he lay down he'd fall asleep. Now was the perfect time to think things through, no more putting it off.  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Yeah, yeah  
  
Do you really have everything you want?  
  
You could never give something you regret  
  
You could run away from yourself  
  
Yeah  
  
While Darrien had been debating with his subconscious, Jake had been doing some major thinking and reflecting of his own. Already aware that his so- called father never really cared for him in so long and self blame to himself, he didn't feel the need to go into another rage. (A/N: Jake's arm is back to normal now, he managed to transform it back while his dad was remembering the mutant hearings.)  
  
Jake figured that if he ever wanted to be happy and live happily like he always imagined he would, he would have to get out of this place. The good memories had long expired like a sale date on a package of food. All these thoughts pointed to one thing: running away from home. But, where to run to? The cities and areas around him were infested with anti-mutants! None of them would want to accept a mutant like him, if someone were to find out.  
  
Shifting his gaze from the opposite end of his bed, Jake looked about his room for any papers that could help him get started in a direction. His searching eyes came upon a stack of newspapers under his bedroom window. But, what truly caught his fancy was that the headline included the word "mutants." Scooting off the side of his bed and out of his slumped position, Jake made his way over to the little collection and brought some back to read in bed.  
  
Scattering the articles about mutants all over his bed, then tossed the other shit on the floor. Jake skimmed through the hateful words and sightings of mutants, only chiefly looking for mentioned locations. It didn't take long for him to find what he was looking for. Jake soon found some old and new news on a group of mutants from Bayville. He recognized some of their faces from seeing them on the news. Jake read the captions with great interest.  
  
"Kitty Pride, a sophomore at Bayville High School, can walk through walls."  
  
"Jean Grey, a senior at Bayville High and captain of the girl's soccer team, can move objects with her mind."  
  
"Kurt Wagner, a junior at Bayville High, has the gift to teleport and turn into this blue, fuzzy elf monster."  
  
"Professor Charles Xavier says that his institute for the gifted is only intended to provide a home for mutants and to help control their powers." Reading that, Jake started to look for more information about this institute. Halfway through the article, he found that Xavier's Institute for the Specially Gifted was in West Chester, not far from Bayville. Finding no need to read the other articles, Jake got up to start packing for his lone, long trip to Bayville.  
  
Snatching his backup up off the floor, Jake unzipped all the zippers, and then proceeded to turn it upside down and shake out its contents. Once it was emptied out with school supplies on the floor, he walked quickly over to his closet and went rifling through his clothes. Keeping in mind that it would only take a couple of hours walk to Bayville, Jake decided to pack light with the sets of clothes and money he picked out. He made sure to bring a map, i.d. cards, and a disguise.  
  
Jake's disguise comprised of: dark sunglasses, a black trench coat, bandana, and a black baseball cap. Most of the audsomble were gifts from relatives, since he couldn't afford most of this stuff half the time. The disguise was for just in case if there was an emergency. If he accidentally revealed himself in public, Jake could easily change into this and make himself scare until the trouble blew over.  
  
He stuffed everything in except for the trench coat and baseball cap. Jake did a quick inventory in his mind, making sure that he didn't forget anything. Suddenly feeling a cool breeze against his body, reminded Jake to keep all weather conditions in mind. Although it had been clear skies and sunny days, you never could tell on the outskirts of Metropolis. But, the weather was the least of his problems.  
  
Jake slipped on the trench coat and cap, then picked up the map and put it in his inside chest pocket. For now, he didn't really need the map because he was already familiar with the streets and buildings of Metropolis. Going there every other day to work, gave Jake time to wander the streets during his breaks. Speaking of his job.no time to worry about that now! First things first: make his way across Metropolis to Bayville, than worry about getting fired.  
  
Before Jake picked up his backpack to leave, he looked around his room one last time before take off. Not letting the bad memories get to him again, he sighed and slung his pack over his shoulders. Forcing those memories onto the back burners of his mind would help to keep them at bay from tearing away at his already fragile conscious.  
  
Making one more sweep around the place, Jake scooped up the scattered newspapers and refolded then stacked them so that he wouldn't leave any clues as to where he was heading to. Now standing before the open window, he reached out and slid it aside. After carefully removing the thin, metal screening, Jake cautiously lowered himself over and out the window. Dangling by his fingers, he let go and landed in a squatting position on the top of a metal roof that served as the outside garages.  
  
To Jake's great relief, he managed to make barely any sound at all. Turning his attention up towards his bedroom window, he noticed that he won't be able to put the metal screening and window back in place. 'Fuck! Why can't these carpenters and architects make these roofs curve up higher?!' Jake silently cursed to himself as he slide down the drainage pipe to the asphalt covered lot. Finally on the ground and nearly tasting freedom, he crossed the lot to the field that lead out over to the street.  
  
Could you look me in the eye  
  
And tell me that you're happy now, yeah yeah  
  
Come on, tell it to my face  
  
And have a little grace  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Some time after Jake had escaped their apartment, Darrien could still be seen pacing back and forth in his room. He was recalling back all those times that his son had been there for him and supported their home life. Realizing this now, Darrien admired Jake for adapting so well to growing up fast in this kind of environment that they lived in. For putting up with an old, arrogant, and indifferent man like him for seventeen years.  
  
Stopping in mid pace in the center of his room, Darrien came to a final decision about something. He now knew exactly what he wanted to finally explain to Jake, including his secret. It was high time that it was his turn to be there for his son, not the other way around like it usually was.  
  
Walking down the hallway, Darrien didn't want Jake to feel so alone in this world about being a mutant anymore, or about anything. Arriving before Jake's bedroom door, he placed a cautious hand on the cold, metal door knob. Then, thought better of it to announce his presence first before entering. "Jake, can I come in?" Darrien asked in a calm voice. A small pause, no answer or mutter came floating through the door that usually hinted that the latter had been sleeping. Judging from his son's silence, he took it as Jake refusing to talk to him. Going back on his early hesitant act, Darrien decided to barge in anyway and opened the door slowly.  
  
Would you look me in the eye?  
  
Could you look me in the eye?  
  
I've had all that I can take  
  
I'm not about to break cuz I'm happy now  
  
Are you happy now?  
  
Darrien felt a cool breeze against his skin as he opened the door. As he moved the door back, he could see more of Jake's empty bed. Darrien's senses started racing as he saw no trace of his son in his room, once he had it open all the way. Frozen in his tracks in the middle of the small room, he looked frantically about the room for any signs. Upon noticing that a few items were amiss, Darrien moved his gaze over to the open window and gasped in realizing horror.  
  
He dashed over to the window and looked out, then wishing he had nocturnal eye powers when he couldn't find any signs of Jake. Feelings of immense pain and distraught soon started to weigh down on his body and mind heavily. With the stress levels becoming too great to handle, Darrien sat himself down on the end of his son's bed. He ran his fingers through his crimson-gold hair as he rested his freely worried expression in his hands. Darrien couldn't believe it! His own son had just run away from home! This was a site that Jake should've seen, his father with no mask to hide behind. Thus, allowing his true identity, scars, and emotions to flow freely upon his worn, sharp features. A new scar started to form from his temple to his neck, deep and blood flowing out like a gentle stream. (A/N: No, these aren't visible, torn flesh wounds. They are only emotional scars that could only heal with time. The flowing blood just expresses the pain pouring forth.)  
  
A few good miles away now, Jake Clarkson was making his way across the last two blocks before he entered the busy city known as Metropolis. His figure shrouded in darkness from avoiding the street lamps' bright orange light. As he approached the bright lights and crowds of passing people, Jake felt his lips form a small, satisfied smile. He was wandering into territory that he now considered to be free. Jake had all that he could take and learn around home, now it was time to explore this outer world and expand his mind. His father couldn't deny him this feeling anymore. As the bright, blue city lights reflected off his body, Jake thought to himself, 'I'm not going to break anymore because I'm happy now. I'm happy to be heading to a place better than this.' He passed into the foggy mist that came bellowing out of an alleyway, and seemed to have disappeared as he crossed the street. The sounds of the last few lines and notes of a familiar Michelle Branch song float through the air.  
  
Author's Note:  
  
I would have gotten this chapter uploaded sooner if I weren't so lazy and the Microsoft word program giving me problems. From the point in this chapter, where I was talking about Jake's disguise, the program started to freeze and not respond to commands. In which causing me to lose a couple of new paragraphs I had just typed up and time most of all. Ugh! I just hated having to retype what I just had there! Plus, I would've edited this sooner if I hadn't watched "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" marathon earlier today.  
  
I'm not sure if this song fit so well with the part of the story in this chapter. I haven't written a songfic in ages! Songfics alone are much easier to write and get done quickly. Since I loved "Are You Happy Now?" so much, that I couldn't help but add it into this story. I know there were other songs that I could've used, but, oh well! Please let me know what you readers think! I'm not quite sure yet if I want to feature songs in other chapters, but we shall see.  
  
Referring back to the mutant hearings in Darrin's memories, those took place more or less a decade ago. That's why I said that Logan was in his forties and not his fifties. (I found out his age on some random X-Men: Evolution fan site.) Talking about the present now, "Cutting Edge" takes place sometime after "Day of Reckoning, Parts 1 and 2." 


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